I have a brilliant idea!!
First: my class's basket brought in $105. It wasn't the highest earner (there was a chocolate lover's one that went for $180, I shit you not, and one for teens that had an iPod) but I think it may have been like top 5, top 10 for sure. And while my room mom did most of the work, it DID give me a great idea!!!!
I'm going to start making gift baskets as a side business!! (Starting for Christmas, dear sisters and mother. It will be a very basket-y Christmas.) You can buy the materials online for pretty cheap, and if I'm creative, I can make back twice what I put into the baskets. I was up till like 4 am reading all about it on various basket-making websites (yes, they exist). I'm frustrated because I had 2 PR parties for this month and they BOTH cancelled. So maybe THIS is a nice little money-maker! I can specialize in very personalized baskets at a variety of prices. I won't ever be rich from it, of course, but it can be fun, I bet. (So I'm using my Christmas presents as practice. And don't worry, Nik and Mis--I know you can't afford to do anything for the "big kids" this year but don't feel guilty, I promise that these will be relatively modest ones.)
Who knows, I might discover, upon making baskets for the sisters, that I suck ass at it. But maybe they'll turn out decently, too.
6 comments:
OOOHH!!! I LOVE making gift baskets!
Before I further comment, though, I'm wondering about you being up til 4am with another "brilliant idea". Baskets CAN be quite lucrative, but I'm also wondering if you're feeling a little "up" this weekend? Okay, on to being excited.
Kathie and I were actually going to open a gift basket business in my basement when we lived in Kalamazoo :-) I have books on starting your own basket business, I have books of theme ideas... I even have a name for my non-existent company :-)and go to Michael's for baskets-- a lot of times they'll have their entire basket selection 50% off and they've got some really cute ones!
I have about 50 spools of different ribbon (I'm not exaggerating) and I can make some sweet bows. Let me know if you want some :-)
Here's my biggest question: how are you going about selling them? Because I've thought about doing it, too, but until we're settled somewhere we're gonna live for a while, I don't want to go through all the formality and legal stuff of actually creating a BUSINESS. So other than like craft fairs and stuff, I wouldn't know how to market it.
Yeah Mom said I sounded a little 'hyper' when I talked to her on the phone. (actually, her exact words were "are you on crack or something?") I do have an appt with my crazy doc on Monday.
i was gonna start off by getting free business cards from vista print and start handing them out and posting them everywhere.
I have a cleaning business. I mean it is registered and everything. starting a business isn't really that difficult, unless you are going to make BIG BUCKS, then there is much more to it. but for the most part, just go to the court house and register the business or just do it as a side job and claim it as cash earned...
but how did you START, like getting the word out and stuff?
I'm writing a business plan at the Minority Business Development Agency (turns out, woman=minority) and they have a free template to get you started!! Whoot!
Here's MY name: A Little Love Gift Baskets
I have to admit, the big new idea and is Jen feeling "up" idea did cross my mind. It sounds like you've really put some thought into it and could make a go of it - Cool :)
I like gift baskets because they kind of dress up several smaller, inexpensive items into something nicer. The danger for me is keeping the items inexpensive enough because the stuff in the basket can add up so quickly!
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